Varroa destructor Linnaeus (Acari: Varroidae) is one of the greatest threats to apiculture. This study examines the role of host density, natural resource availability for bees, the management and climate in driving spatial and annual variability in the abundance of Varroa, and the occurrence of colony losses, recorded in apiaries across a Mediterranean island over a 2-year period, using a hierarchical generalised linear model framework. 2. The seasonal abundance of Varroa showed a bimodal pattern with two peaks, the first one being in spring and larger than the second one located in summer/autumn. In contrast, bee colony losses were mainly concentrated in autumn/winter. 3. 4.

Exp Appl Acarol 18/02/16 Population growth of Varroa destructor (Acari: Varroidae) in honey bee colonies is affected by the number of foragers with mites. RURAL NEWS 08/07/13 Non-chemical varroa controls promising. TWO ALTERNATIVES to chemical control of varroa show promise but may not be complementary, judging by papers presented at the National Beekeepers Association’s annual conference last month.

Breeding for strains with the VSH (varroa specific hygiene) trait has resulted in some of Rainbow Honey’s hives in the Nelson area completely overcoming mite infestation. Meanwhile Ron van Toor, of Plant and Food, says certain types of chelifer (aka pseuodo-scorpions) show potential for their ability to attack varroa in beehives, or any other new mite incursion which could become a problem.

“They’re fairly widespread in New Zealand and are found in many habitats – from tussock grasslands, to forest, to urban.
JOURNAL OF FISHERIES & LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION 24/11/14 Occurrences and Distributions of Honeybee (Apis mellifera Jemenetica)Varroa Mite (Varroa destructor) in Tigray Region, Ethiopia. EMEA 07/10/16 New medicine to protect honey bees against Varroa mites.

VarroMed recommended for marketing authorisation At its October meeting, the Committee for Medicinal Products for Veterinary Use (CVMP) of the European Medicines Agency (EMA) recommended the granting of a marketing authorisation in the European Union (EU) for VarroMed (oxalic acid dihydrate / formic acid).

This antiparasitic medicine treats the Varroa mite infestation in honey-bee colonies, which is considered to be the most significant parasitic health concern affecting honey bees worldwide. Honey bees are essential for pollination of crops and wild plants in Europe. The European Commission estimates that pollinators, including honey bees, bumble bees and wild bees, contribute at least 22 billion euros each year to European agriculture and pollinate over 80% of crops and wild plants on the continent.
AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT - 2016 - DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Varroa mites on Asian honey bees in the Torrres Straits - Prevalence on foraging bees and rapid screening of swarms. ARS USDA - Projet de recherche 2015-2017 - Biology and Control of the Parasitic Mites Varroa and Tropilaelaps and Improving Our Understanding of Exotic Pathogens of Honey Bees.

Research Project: Biology and Control of the Parasitic Mites Varroa and Tropilaelaps and Improving Our Understanding of Exotic Pathogens of Honey Bees Location: Bee Research Project Number: 8042-21000-277-33 Project Type: Specific Cooperative Agreement Start Date: Aug 25, 2015 End Date: Aug 26, 2017 Objective: Honey bee health decline has been documented for years and the number of new pests and parasites that have come into the US in recent years has grown.

These include two parasitic mites in the 1980s, tracheal and Varroa mites and small hive beetles in the 1990s. Approach: The major objectives of this proposal are to increase our understanding of Tropilaelaps spp. parasitism and control in Apis mellifera and comparisons of Thai sacbrood and Nosema infectivity in A. mellifera and Apis cerana.

Varroa mites are parasites that feed on developing bees, leading to brood mortality and reduced lifespan of worker bees. They also transmit numerous honeybee viruses. The health of a colony can be critically damaged by an infestation of Varroa mites. Once infested, if left untreated, the colony will likely die. By expediting the approval of pesticides that target Varroa mites and publishing information about the products, EPA is honoring another commitment in the National Strategy. The pesticide products listed on this page are registered by EPA at the federal level for use against Varroa mites.

ARMERS GUARDIAN 13/05/13 US report cites varroa mite as major factor in bee decline. May 14, 2013 From: Farmers Guardian By Alistair Driver US authorities have published a report concluding ‘multiple factors’ are to blame for the decline in global bee populations.

The report by the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concludes the parasitic varroa mite is ‘recognised as the major factor underlying colony loss in the US and other countries’. It highlights various other factors, including disease, genetics, poor nutrition and pesticide exposure. In contrast to the recent European decision to suspend three neonicotinoid seed treatments on the basis of a risk assessment by the EU food safety authorities, the US report concludes additional research is needed to determine the risks presented by pesticides. The report echoes the conclusion of a conference on the impact of agriculture on insect populations that bee decline was a ‘multi-factorial issue’, with more research needed on the impact neonicotinoids in the field.

Its original host is the Asian honeybee, Apis cerana, but it has also become a severe, global threat to the European honeybee, Apis mellifera. Previous studies have shown that Varroa can mimic a host's cuticular hydrocarbons (HC), enabling the parasite to escape the hygienic behaviour of the host honeybees. By transferring mites between the two honeybee species, we further demonstrate that Vd is able to mimic the cuticular HC of a novel host species when artificially transferred to this new host. Mites originally from A. cerana are more efficient than mites from A. mellifera in mimicking HC of both A. cerana and A. mellifera. 1. Chemical mimicry has been described as playing a major role in the infiltration of parasites into insect societies [1].
Exp Appl Acarol. 2014 Jul 19. Impact of Varroa destructor on honeybee (Apis mellifera scutellata) colony development in South Africa.

J Econ Entomol. 2014 Apr;107(2):508-15. Autumn invasion rates of Varroa destructor (Mesostigmata: Varroidae) into honey bee (Hymenoptera: Apidae) colonies and the resulting increase in mite populations.
Preventive Veterinary Medicine Volume 115, Issues 3–4, 1 August 2014, Risk factors associated with the presence of Varroa destructor in honey bee colonies from east-central Argentina. STATE OF HAWAII - 2011 - Report on the study, control and mitigation of the bee mite infestation. Apidologie 41 (2010) 181–193 New Asian types of Varroa destructor: a potential new threat for world apiculture. AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENT - JUNE 2012 - A benefit–cost framework for responding to an incursion of Varroa destructor. STATE OF HAWAII - 2011 - Report on the study, control and mitigation of the bee mite infestation. SPRINGER - 2011 - Video Monitoring of a mite in honeybee cells. Apidologie - 2011 - Characteristics of honey bee colonies (Apis mellifera) in Sweden surviving Varroa destructor infestation.

Poor struggle against parasites and diseases of honeybees and bad management conditions could be the main reasons of this fact (Kumova, 2003). Varroa damage is one of the most important factors that increases the wintering loses (Akyol et al., 2006b). When the varroa infestation increases, resistance of the colonies decreases againist the bad conditions (Kumova, 2003). High levels of varroa infestation may reduce the pupae and adult weight of the honeybees >10% (Gueler and Kaftanoglu, 1999).

One varroa fed with hemolymph of the honeybees could cause 0.1-0.2% loss of body weight every 2 h. The rate of varroa infestation is one of the most important factors that influence colony population, performance and wintering loses of the colonies (Genc and Aksoy, 1992; Goodvin and Eaton, 2001; Kaftanoglu et al., 1995)
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= 0.67±0.11) varroa infestation. .
= 4.30±0.28) varroa infestation.
Rev Mex Cienc Pecu 2011;2(1):25-38 Frequency of Varroa destructor, Nosema apis and Acarapis woodi in managed colonies and wild s.